Terry RichardMount McLoughlin, at 9,495 feet the sentinel of southern Oregon, shows its north face from Sandy Gap in the Rouge-Umpqua Divide Wilderness.

The Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness Area straddles the upper ridge that divide two of the three great rivers of southern Oregon (the other being the Klamath). The 33,000-acre wilderness is heavily forested, but several peaks and cliffs offer views of Mount McLoughlin, the rim of Crater Lake and Mount Thielsen.

One of the easiest peaks to reach in the wilderness is Abbott Butte, with its rugged north face called Elephant Head.

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Terry RichardThe old fire lookout atop Abbott Butte. That's a dragonfly to the left of the walkway.

Pay attention while you're driving toward Abbott Butte, one of the high points at the southwest end of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness Area. You can spot the top of the butte, complete with old lookout tower, to the north as you drive the road.

To find the trailhead off the Crater Lake Highway from Medford, drive six miles northeast past the ranger station at Prospect on Oregon 62. Turn north between milepost 51 and 52 on the Woodruff Meadows Road No. 68.

Follow this road up into the mountain, for five miles on pavement then 7.4-miles on narrow gravel, but suitable for cars. Park at the saddle, where the forest boundary switches from Rogue River to Umpqua, and notice the trailhead on the north side. This is Huckleberry Gap, so come with an appetite.

Follow the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Trail through thick forest, around Quartz Mountain, through Windy and Sandy gaps for 2.7 miles, to where a sign points the way 0.3 miles up an old road to the lookout atop Abbott Butte, 6,131 feet. Hike to the abandon lookout tower, but stay off the rickety building.

To reach the top of the Elephant Head cliffs, continue northeasterly through the woods and brush from the lookout, descending slightly. Just follow the crest of the ridge slightly downhill less than a half mile. The brush opens up and the going becomes easier as you approach the top of the cliff at 5,871 feet. Don't approach too closely because it drops away steeply 400 feet.

From below, the cliff got its name because of its resemblance to the head of, you guessed it, an elephant.

You can view the cliff from below by descending Abbott Butte on the old road to the trail. Going left brings you back to the trailhead. Going right leads to the base of Elephant Head, though I did not go this way due to shortness of time and because of how the trail quickly seemed to be overgrown after most hikers stop at Abbott Butte.

My hiking times were 8:40 a.m. departure, Elephant Head at 11:30, a half hour on top, then back to the trailhead at 2:30 p.m.

Terry RichardElephant Head, named for its appearance when seen from below, is a 400-foot high cliff on Abbott Butte's north face.